


Late night talks (with a bit alcohol)

by leet19



Series: Do you mean what you say (when there's no one around)? [3]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Developing Friendships, Forgiveness, I'm fan of talks, Late Night Conversations, M/M, More talks, One-Sided Attraction, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 20:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6922360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leet19/pseuds/leet19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is surprised when Bucky Barnes appears on his house.</p>
<p>
  <em>Bucky turned sharply to see him, looking incredulous.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"You don't hate me?"</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late night talks (with a bit alcohol)

**Author's Note:**

> This one it's centered around 4-5 months after the conversation Tony & Rhodey had.

He should have been expecting it. He really should have. I mean, he blowed off the dude's arm and almost killed his best friend, why wouldn't he want to get revenge for it? Tony glanced at the silent figure of Bucky Barnes and smiled bitterly to himself, feeling a pang on his chest just by looking at the guy. Steve loved him. He loved James Buchanan Barnes, in his list on priorities, first came Barnes and next the rest of the world. Tony had wondered to himself what it would feel like to have that kind of devotion for himself, to be the center of Steve Rogers' universe, to be the most important thing to him that he wouldn't care becoming a criminal just to be by his side and protect him from everything. Well, he would never know, right?

"Can I offer you a drink?" said Tony as he poured himself a glass of bourbon. He had been trying to leave the alcohol, Steve had always looked so sad and concerned when he was so drunk he couldn't even walk and the genius never wanted to see the captain sad for him, so he had given up the alcohol. It had been worth it when he had seen Steve's happy face when he had told him that he was going to sober up, he had congratulated him warmly and Tony had melted on the inside from the approval on his face. Now... the Captain wasn't here to really see it and if Barnes was going to kill him, he might as well take one last drink.

"Vodka" Barnes' voice startled him and he looked at him for a few seconds before nodding, grabbing the bottle and pouring him some, sliding it across the bar table, trying his best not to move back when he came near to sit on a stood. There was the bar table between them but Tony suspected that it wouldn't stop him if Barnes tried to kill him. They stayed drinking in silence for a few moments, Tony unsure of what was going to happen and Barnes seemingly happy to let him freak out on the inside.

"So" said the genius at the end, not being able to keep silent any longer "How come you are here without your patriotic companion?" he almost winced, he hadn't meant to ask about Steve but he was actually curious as to why was Barnes in here and Steve wasn't behind with a blankie to keep his bestie protected from the world. 

"I- sort of asked him to give me a bit of space" said Barnes with a shrug and Tony frowned.

"Why? I mean, you two have been separate for like decades and don't you wanna hang around your pal now? Cold" he shrugged, sipping more of his bourbon and grimacing slightly to the taste, he had really forgotten how unpleasant the drink could be without ice but he worked with what he had.

"I didn't come here to talk about Steve. There's something I wanted to tell you" now the soldier had Tony's full attention, what would he be saying? Did he kill someone else that was also important to Tony? Was he planning to? Tony would totally freak out if he threatened him, he was the Winter Soldier after all, he was a fucking killing machine, he would have to create another suit for Pepper and make sure Rhodey was safe and little Peter couldn't be left alone, what if- "I wanted to apologize" 

Tony's brain stuttered to a stop for a few seconds, his eyes huge as he watched him and he had to replay the words one by one at least ten times before it actually made any kind of sense to him because he was... apologizing? To him? 

"Sorry, I think I heard you wrong. What did you say?" he asked him, shaking his head, he must have, there was no reason for the soldier to be apologizing to him at all, not after Tony almost killed him and his best friend. Bucky seemed to find his mini inter break down amusing and raised his brows a little.

"I said that I want to apologize to you" he repeated, very slowly, as if Tony was an idiot, which he actually looked like right now with how much he was gaping.

"Why?" he said finally, bewildered and Bucky became serious again.

"For killing your parents" he said and sighed, looking down to the glass on his hand "I know you must hate me, I understand it. But I just wanted to let you that I am truly sorry about it, for doing and for not being able to stop it"

Tony just stared at him. Okay, let's recap. Barnes had apparently come all the way from Wakanda, the not so secret place they have been hiding in, only to apologize to him about killing his parents. Huh. Tony kinda wanted to hit his head with the table because he should have thought on this too. James Barnes wasn't the same person as the Asset, he isn't the Winter Soldier, he was just Steve Rogers' best friend, a man tortured and forced to do unspeakable things. Tony had forgotten to separate the two of them, Asset and person. 

"I don't hate you" what's the first thing he blurted out and suddenly he felt very tired. He had been holding on his anger all this time, anger against Barnes that he thought justified but it had been only a way to hide from the others how it had nothing to do with Barnes and all to do with Steve's betrayal. He had reacted angrily at first, because he had seen the footage, the face of his mother while life left her. He had been hurt when he found that Steve knew, if he had told him that he didn't, then Tony would have been rational, he would have stopped to think, to understand all. But he had known and he hadn't told him because in reality, Steve doesn't trust him. 

Bucky turned sharply to see him, looking incredulous.

"You don't hate me?" he repeated and it was almost funny that he looked just as surprised as Tony had been before when he had declared that he wanted to apologize.

 "The person that killed my parents wasn't you. It was HYDRA. And while you were the body they chose to use, they were the mind behind it" he finished his drink and let it on the table, looking directly to him "It wasn't your fault, Barnes"

Bucky seemed... shaken for a few seconds and so, painfully young. He was all pale, wide eyed with those icy blue eyes and longish hair, he was barely an adult at all and Tony felt the stupid need to protect him, to avenge him for what had been done to him. Was this what Steve felt for him when he watched the vulnerability on those expressive eyes? Well, at least he could understand somewhat why he decided to go against everyone for him. Bucky had been wronged enough through all this years, he deserved a bit of peace.

"Let's do something. Now that you know I don't hate you and I hope you don't hate me. I suppose HYDRA, being the assholes they are, never updated you on any social culture going around. So I propose this, we do a movie marathon, we forget all about killings and parents and patriotic friends, and we start over. Sounds cool? Good" he smiled and extended his hand "Hello, I'm Tony Stark, genius, plaboy, philatropist and part time Avenger. I am a sarcastic shit, tend to drown in work and was once tortured on a cave. You?"

Bucky stared at his hands for a few seconds, looking up to the earnest face of the genius and he felt a weird tingly feeling on his chest. This was the first time someone he had personally hurt had told him it wasn't his fault, that was forgiving him and giving him a second chance. It meant something for him. He felt a slight smile forming on his lips as he grasped Tony's hand, feeling how warm and secure it was as he shake it softly.

"I'm James Barnes but they usually call me Bucky. I was brainwashed by some assholes but now I'm all me again, well, most of the time" he said and Tony grinned back.

"Nice to meet you, James"


End file.
